Reuters World News Highlights at 1000 GMT, Oct 15

October 15, 2012|Reuters

TOP STORIES

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WASHINGTON - Losing ground to Republican Mitt Romney on ahost of issues, President Barack Obama faces a serious challengeto put his re-election bid back on track when the two men faceoff on Tuesday in their second debate.

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GUANTANAMO BAY U.S. NAVAL BASE, Cuba - U .S. attempts tomove forward in the trial of five Guantanamo prisoners accusedof plotting the Sept. 11 attacks have been thwarted for monthsby scheduling conflicts, religious observances, an Internetoutage and a tropical storm.

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LUXEMBOURG - Negotiations with Iran over its nuclearprogramme could move forward very soon, the European Union'sforeign policy chief said on Monday, as EU foreign ministers metto agree another round of sanctions against Tehran.

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MANILA - The Philippine government and the country's largestMuslim rebel group signed a peace deal on Monday that serves asa roadmap to forming a new autonomous region in the south, astep towards ending more than 40 years of conflict.

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LONDON - The British government faced fresh humiliation overa botched competition to run the country's west coast railservice on Monday, when it asked Virgin to continue operatingthe line on an interim basis, only weeks after choosing a rivalcompany.

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ISLAMABAD - The Pakistani schoolgirl shot by Taliban gunmenfor pushing for girls to be educated has been sent to the UnitedKingdom for medical treatment, a military spokesman said onMonday.

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PHNOM PENH - Cambodia's former king Norodom Sihanouk, oncean absolute ruler who freed Cambodia from colonialism beforebecoming a tragic pawn through decades of turmoil, died onMonday in a Beijing hospital. He was 89.

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BEIRUT/AMMAN - Turkey has banned all Syrian aircraft fromits air space as it takes an increasingly firm stance againstPresident Bashar al-Assad, while Syrian rebels said on Sundaythey had made more gains in a key province near the Turkishborder.

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EDINBURGH - Scotland takes a big step on its path towards anindependence referendum on Monday when its leader meetsBritain's prime minister to finalise arrangements for a votewhich could lead to the demise of Scotland's three-centuries-oldunion with England.

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BEIRUT - Hezbollah's increasingly visible support for SyrianPresident Bashar al-Assad and its latest military challenge toIsrael has put the militant group on a collision course withdomestic opponents who accuse it of dragging Lebanon towardsregional conflict.

TOKYO - Graduates of IMF emergency loan programmes acceptedthe Fund's admission that it miscalculated the cost of austeritywith a mix of schadenfreude and frustration that the change cametoo late to spare them economic pain.